Piñon nuts versus pine nuts

I was especially intrigued that several of the recipes from the Grand Canyon Cook Book used piñon nuts. According to the New Mexico Piñon Nut Company, “Pine nuts from New Mexico called Pinon nuts are called Pinon or Piñon by law in New Mexico. Pinon nuts come specifically from the pine tree species: pinus edulis. They taste different from other varieties. The pinon pine tree is a two-needled pine which grows wild in high desert mountain areas of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. These edible nuts are not to be confused with the ‘single needle’ pine tree from Nevada.”

The pine nuts you get at the store (usually imported from China) are much cheaper than piñon nuts from New Mexico, which sell anywhere from $25-40. Pinon nuts are a hand-harvest, wild crop and the pines can only be picked once every three to seven years. That’s why you see cars pulled on the highway and people on the medians when it’s piñon season.

More on pine nuts from Wikipedia:

In Asia, two species are widely harvested, Korean Pine in northeast Asia (the most important species in international trade), and Chilgoza Pine in the western Himalaya. Four other species, Siberian Pine, Siberian Dwarf Pine, Chinese White Pine and Lacebark Pine are also used to a lesser extent.

Pine nuts produced in Europe mostly come from the Stone Pine, which has been cultivated for its nuts for over 6,000 years, and harvested from wild trees for far longer. The Swiss Pine is also used to a very small extent.

In North America, the main species are three of the pinyon pines, Colorado Pinyon, Single-leaf Pinyon, and Mexican Pinyon.

I’ve read that some people experience a metallic aftertaste when eating Chinese pine nuts, and that this has more to do with a genetic predisposition than the pine nuts themselves. However, pine nuts do go rancid quite easily, so keep yours in the refrigerator. Also, you should taste test before cooking with them to make sure they’re OK. I use pine nuts from Costco and have never had a problem.

Gluten Free Pine Nut Cookies

I’ve “healthed up” the original Piñon Nut Squares recipe from the Grand Canyon Cook Book by using brown rice and oat flours to make the cookies gluten free. I also used stevia instead of white sugar and coconut palm sugar instead of brown sugar.

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I’ve loved meringue cookies since I was a kid. But now that I’m trying to watch my calories, I like them even more. Here’s a holiday treat created by Laurel Hudson, the culinary instructor at Wellspring Academies that will let you indulge without packing on the pounds. Even better, these are perfect for those who are avoiding gluten in their diets.

Peppermint Meringue Crisps

Yield: 18 cookies

Ingredients:

Juice of 1 lemon

2 egg whites

Pinch salt

¼ tsp cream of tartar

½ cup Stevia in the Raw

1 sugar free candy cane

½ tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with Pam.

Combine the egg whites, lemon juice, cream of tartar, salt, and sugar in a bowl.

Using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites into a meringue, until the whites are thick and stand up in peaks.

Add the stevia and vanilla and whip for 30 seconds.

Drop by the spoonful onto pan, making 12 cookies.

Crush the candy cane into small bits.

Sprinkle the candy cane on top of the cookies.

Bake 1 ½ hours, then turn the oven off and let the cookies sit in the oven while it is left partially open until the oven is cool.

Did you know that the first cookie dates all the way back to the 7th century in Persia? Seems that sugar was first cultivated there and then spread to the eastern Mediterranean. At the end of the 14th century, you could walk along the streets of Paris and buy little wafers, and cookie recipes began to show up in Renaissance era cookbooks. From there it was only a matter before cookies took over the world – well its sweet tooth that is.

That’s one of the fun things I learned about cookies at PopularCookieRecipes.com, a collection of popular cookie recipes from around the world – a website you should check out for basic, simple cookie recipes.

This time of year we don’t think about cookies much since we’re busy making pies and tarts from all the great fruit available in the summer. Still, cookies are classic and very portable – great for picnicking or taking to the beach for a snack.

Since I’m always on the lookout for eggfree dessert recipes, I thought I’d share PopularCookieRecipes.com recipe for shortbread cookies.

Shortbread CookiesI think these cookies would be marvelous to dip into a little fruit preserves or maybe eat with a bowl of fresh berries and a tall glass of iced tea.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix butter and sugar in large bowl.

Stir in flour. If dough is crumbly, mix in an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of softened butter.

Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness and cut dough with cookie cutters into desired shapes. The dough can even be cut with a knife into wedges or strips for interesting designs. Get creative and have fun!

Bake about 20 minutes or until set.

Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

PopularCookieRecipes.com bills itself as a collection of popular cookie recipes. Yet the selection is pretty limited now. Since it’s a new website, I look forward to seeing them expand their cookie recipe collection.